LIVERMORE (KPIX 5) They call themselves “the bag ladies” or “the two little old ladies from Livermore.” But the nicknames don’t begin to describe the powerful way this week’s Jefferson Award winners touch the lives of cancer patients.

It’s perfect partnership for Susi Folks and Vicki Goss.

“I wanted it to be personal,” Folks explained. ‘I wanted it to be a gift.”

She and best friend Folks have packed ChemoCare Bags from their Livermore homes since 2009 after, Goss had chemotherapy for breast cancer. She is now cancer free, but knows how much patients need hope.

“When you go through chemotherapy, it’s really easy to get sucked down into maelstorm of depression,” she remembered. “Your hope kind of gets dissipated. You lose your hair, your eyebrows, everything. Your femininity is stripped away.”

Folks sews each bag. Goss collects the donations to fill them. Each item fills a purpose: a blanket keeps patients warm; journal and puzzles keep them busy; a teddy bear is fun and comforting.